IDRC Action Research Project

Assessing Multi-stakeholder Partnerships in the Water and Sanitation Sector within the Context of Urban Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Background

In October 2008, BPD and IDRC began a 3-year programme of action research, exploring the impact of various institutional relationships on local natural resource management and on the integrated management of water and sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Throughout LAC, increasing and unrestricted urbanisation has created demand for improved water and sanitation service delivery and environmental resource management. Multi-stakeholder partnerships that deliver services for the urban poor are being widely promoted, to address low efficiency and poor service quality. However, evidence from successful cases and urban policy reform need to be better understood, to determine possible areas for replication. This research aims to increase documentation and learning around innovative partnerships in the region, to support this scaling-up process.

Action Research

BPD will work with a small Technical Advisory Panel and local researchers to document diverse and unique multi-stakeholder case studies from six different locations in LAC, through desk-based analysis and local multi-stakeholder workshops. These will feed into two regional-level workshops, enabling the development of lasting contacts and networks at this level and the sharing of best practice. BPD will also develop a programme for building the capacity of practitioners in the region in related partnership approaches and skills. 

For further information on this project, please contact BPD